Posts Tagged ‘catheter’

FDA Recalls CardioVations EndoClamp Aortic Catheter

Monday, November 16th, 2009

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Edwards Lifesciences notified health care professionals, Nov. 9, about the Class 1 recall of CardioVations EndoClamp™ Aortic Catheter, model numbers EC1001 and EC65. The recall was initiated because the balloon catheters may spontaneously rupture during surgery.

This product was manufactured from August 2008 through August 2009 and distributed from November 2008 through September 2009.

The device blocks off the aorta, monitors aortic pressure, and delivers solution to stop the heart during cardiopulmonary bypass procedures.

On Oct. 29, 2009, the manufacturer sent a follow-up letter to their customers instructing them to:

  • Check their inventory and identify any unused product; and 
  • Return unused products to the company.

Class 1 recalls are the most serious type of recall and involve situations in which there is a reasonable probability that use of the product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

Health care professionals and consumers may report adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.

Catheter Codes Cause Confusion

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

National Heritage Insurance Company (NHIC) issued a notification update Oct. 14 to clarify its coding and utilization guidelines for certain male external catheters supplied to Medicare beneficiaries.

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Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative Provides Roadmap to Reach Goal of 66%

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

The Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative (FFBI) has released a strategic plan for achieving the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) goal that two-thirds (66 percent) of prevalent hemodialysis patients will use an arteriovenous (AV) fistula as their primary method of vascular access. Read more »

Ablation Catheters for Atrial Fibrillation Approved

Friday, February 13th, 2009

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced, Feb. 6, that it has approved the first ablation catheters—BioSense Webster’s NaviStar ThermoCool and the EZ Steer ThermoCool Nav—for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF).

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OIG Reports on Adverse Event Study

Monday, January 5th, 2009

Fifteen percent of hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries in two selected counties experienced an adverse event during their hospital stays, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) said in a Dec. 19, 2008 report. Read more »


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